Between the rise of hybrid work, the explosion in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools, and the increase in cyber threats, the world of work has undergone rapid and profound transformations over the past few years.
In this context, organizations must equip themselves with solutions that enhance individual and collective productivity both on-site and remotely, improve the employee experience, and ensure data compliance and security.
So, how can you create a modern, high-performing, secure, and human-centered work environment? One technology seems to address this challenge: the Modern Workplace.
What is it exactly? What are the advantages and key features of this augmented Digital Workplace? How can you adopt it, and what pitfalls should you avoid? In this article, Jint tells you everything you need to know about the next-generation digital work environment…
What is a modern workplace?
Literally, the Modern Workplace is a “modern work environment.”
Modern workplace : definition
More specifically, a Modern Workplace is a digital work environment that centralizes, on a secure and intuitive portal, all the digital tools and information employees need to work effectively, alone or in teams, on-site or remotely.
Modern workplace, digital workplace, and smart workplace
A modern work environment is an enhanced Digital Workplace. The digital version of a Smart Workplace (intelligent office), it integrates technology, especially collaborative tools (Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, etc.) and AI, to meet targeted needs and use cases, improve individual and collective productivity, and boost the employee experience.
In summary, the Modern Workplace is a customizable digital workspace that reflects each organization’s culture and working methods, leveraging various technologies to optimize workflows, promote employee well-being and engagement, and ensure data security.
The key benefits of a modern workplace
The Modern Workplace offers several major advantages for organizations:
Increased productivity
With the Modern Workplace, employees easily access their office software, communication channels, and work documents. These are all gathered in one interface and integrated with one another. Navigation between tools is seamless, saving time and helping employees improve their productivity.
In addition to classic productivity tools such as the Teams collaboration platform, Outlook email, or the Microsoft Planner task management tool, a Modern Workplace includes AI tools like Jint Genious and automation solutions such as Power Automate.
Thanks to these services, employees can find information faster, create content (team sites, presentations, emails, etc.) in just a few clicks, or set up automated workflows (contract approval, document management, etc.). These workflows allow them to focus on higher-value tasks. The result: boosted productivity.
Optimized remote, synchronous, and asynchronous collaboration
The Modern Workplace also makes teamwork easier. With collaborative tools such as Teams, employees can interact in real time or asynchronously through well-organized communication channels.
The integration of a cloud-hosted document management platform (e.g., SharePoint Online) allows Modern Workplace users to store, share, and co-edit documents (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) smoothly and securely, even when they are geographically dispersed.
Collaboration features such as the employee directory or the corporate social network help break down silos between departments and strengthen collaboration and team cohesion.
An improved employee experience
The Modern Workplace is part of the digital transformation tools that place humans and well-being at the center of their goals. It allows employees to switch between applications smoothly, receive relevant news without information overload, and conduct searches or create content effortlessly thanks to AI features.
A solution like Jint, for example, allows the creation of a personalized dashboard tailored to each employee’s needs. This unique entry point significantly enhances the employee experience, as each profile gains immediate access to business tools, work documents, and targeted information (events, task lists, upcoming meetings, etc.). The result: less stress and greater efficiency.
Enhanced mobility, flexibility, and agility
As a digital work environment, the Modern Workplace is typically cloud-hosted and accessible remotely, from anywhere and on any authorized device (smartphone, computer, tablet, etc.). With this solution, mobile employees, remote workers, or field staff can continue working on their projects and interacting with colleagues.
In short, the Modern Workplace is one of the pillars of hybrid work. It provides organizations with greater flexibility and agility to adapt to new workforce expectations (remote work, work–life balance, etc.), as well as resilience in the face of unexpected events, changes, and crises (lockdowns, public transport disruptions, inaccessible offices, etc.).
Modernized and streamlined management
The Modern Workplace is synonymous with reinvented management. The integration of business intelligence tools such as Power BI and AI assistants like Copilot enables leaders and managers to obtain insights, prepare their meetings, and make informed decisions more quickly.
As a result, managers have more time to communicate with their teams, provide constructive individual feedback, and support talent in developing their skills.
Leaders can also communicate more easily with employees, for example by inviting them to a virtual meeting or sending messages through the corporate social network. At the same time, the Modern Workplace streamlines information flow from the field, particularly through survey features.
Streamlined onboarding
Onboarding is a key step in helping new hires become operational and retaining talent. The Modern Workplace greatly facilitates this essential phase of the employee journey.
A solution like Jint can, for example, offer newcomers a dashboard containing the information, resources, contacts, and applications they immediately need, as well as a list of tasks they must complete throughout their onboarding process.
Reduced IT costs and return on investment (ROI)
Finally, implementing a Modern Workplace offers financial benefits because the solution reduces the organization's IT costs. The modern work environment brings together a streamlined, tailor-made selection of tools, avoiding multiple subscriptions, maintenance fees, and unnecessary expenses.
As a result, a well-designed Modern Workplace can deliver substantial ROI. A Forrester study conducted for Microsoft in 2019, for example, found that the Teams collaboration platform, integrated into Microsoft 365-based Modern Workplaces like Jint, generates an ROI of 832% over three years for a typical organization.
The essential tools of a modern workplace
A Modern Workplace that delivers on its promises regarding productivity, employee experience, and security is built on several key tools:
The Microsoft 365 suite (Teams, SharePoint, Outlook…)
The Microsoft365 collaborative suite is the backbone of a high-performing Modern Workplace. It includes several essential productivity tools such as:
• Office applications like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, enabling employees to edit documents alone or collaboratively, remotely or on-site, synchronously or asynchronously;
• The Teams collaboration platform, which facilitates communication between employees, especially members of the same project team, who can share calendars, task lists, and work documents (Word, Excel, etc.);
• The Outlook messaging platform, allowing users to communicate by email, organize meetings, and easily share their calendars to coordinate and work smoothly as a team;
• The SharePoint content management and website creation platform, essential for designing collaborative intranets and team sites, as well as storing, sharing, and managing documents in an organized and secure manner.
Power platform (Power Automate, Power Apps, Power BI…)
Microsoft Power Platform is a suite of low-code services (Power Automate, Power Apps, Power BI, Power Page). It enables companies to create customized automations integrated into their Modern Workplace, such as chatbots, workflows (business process automation), and data analytics applications, all without advanced programming skills.
The result is a true digital Smart Workplace, where technology frees employees from repetitive tasks (document management, signatures, data analysis, etc.), reduces the risk of errors, and increases individual and collective productivity.
Microsoft entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory)
Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory) is the essential identity and access management component of a Modern Workplace. Thanks to single sign-on, multi-factor authentication (MFA), and conditional access, authorized users can connect to their applications, devices, and data easily yet securely.
Jint (formerly Mozzaik365)
The SharePoint and Teams extension Jint (formerly Mozzaik365) is the component that transforms a standard Digital Workplace into a true Modern Workplace, personalized, seamless, engaging, and intelligent. With Jint, every organization can easily build a modern intranet tailored to its needs, use cases, internal challenges, and culture.
Jint offers more than 60 ready-to-use modules (organization chart, directory, news wall, social media wall, knowledge center, etc.) and customizable templates that optimize Microsoft intranet solutions (Teams, SharePoint) to boost productivity, engagement, and the employee experience.
How to successfully implement a modern workplace?
To create a high-performing and sustainable Modern Workplace, several key steps are necessary:
Needs assessment and tool mapping
A true Modern Workplace is personalized. It addresses the use cases, challenges, and specific needs of the company and its employees. To achieve this:
• Start by assessing the existing environment (intranet infrastructure, database, business processes, etc.).
• Analyze your internal needs, identify your objectives, and formalize them in a requirements document.
• Finally, map out the tools and features required to meet these specifications.
Co-construction with stakeholders
Throughout the design process for your Modern Workplace, involve the various stakeholders within your organization: the IT department, HR department, executive management, and, of course, employees.
Organize workshops and surveys to gather their needs, priorities (improving HR processes, productivity, data security, etc.), and specific use cases. This co-creation approach is essential to building a profitable Modern Workplace and encouraging adoption among internal users.
Change management and training
During your Modern Workplace project, do not underestimate resistance to digital transformation. For employees, switching tools, changing work methods, or delegating certain tasks to AI can be a source of stress and disengagement.
To avoid this and ensure your Modern Workplace becomes a lever for improving employee experience and productivity, implement a change management and training program (workshops, mentoring, seminars, online courses, communication campaigns, etc.).
This strategy prepares the adoption of the solution both technically (skills development) and emotionally (overcoming fears, understanding the benefits of the Modern Workplace, etc.).
Choosing the right IT partners
To deploy an efficient and seamless Modern Workplace, work with one or more IT partners (software solution providers like Jint, integrators, digital transformation consulting firms, etc.) who can:
• Advise you on tool selection and features tailored to your needs;
• Involve your organization’s stakeholders in the process;
• Offer solutions suited to your budget;
• Support you in deploying and configuring your platform;
• Train your employees to use the Modern Workplace;
• Provide technical support and assistance after deployment.
Monitoring adoption and KPIs
Once your Modern Workplace is implemented, track its adoption using relevant performance indicators such as platform adoption rate, tool usage frequency, time spent in each section, or employee satisfaction levels.
A solution like Jint allows you to track KPIs directly from your Modern Workplace and obtain actionable insights. These results and user feedback help you make adjustments to turn your modern intranet into a lever for productivity, employee experience, and engagement.
Challenges to anticipate before deploying a modern workplace
Be aware that several challenges may hinder the deployment and adoption of a Modern Workplace and therefore must be anticipated:
Resistance to change
Resistance to change should not be underestimated. Habit, fear of replacement, or technophobia can lead employees to cling to old work methods and refuse, actively or passively, to adopt the Modern Workplace.
To prevent this, a human-centered training and change management program is essential. It must demonstrate the value of the Modern Workplace (employee experience, productivity, security, compliance, etc.) and provide employees with the support they need to adapt (action plan, skill development, adoption monitoring).
Tool overload, digital overload, and information overload
A Modern Workplace is an intuitive and streamlined digital work environment with a selection of features and tools tailored to your use cases and employee needs. Accumulating applications, notifications, messages, and resources goes against this principle and can be counterproductive.
Overstimulation and information overload harm both employee experience and productivity. You must avoid these pitfalls. A solution like Jint helps you design a functional work environment in which each user accesses the information, tools, and documents they need, without excess.
Budget and return on investment (ROI)
The cost of a Modern Workplace can vary greatly depending on your needs and constraints. Expenses can accumulate:
• Digital transformation consulting services;
• Purchase of software licenses (e.g., Microsoft365) and subscriptions;
• Acquisition of IT hardware (smartphones, tablets, etc.);
• Integration, data migration, and custom developments;
• Employee training and change management;
• Technical support and maintenance.
To stay within your budget and optimize ROI, choose a solution like Jint, which easily adapts to your existing infrastructure (e.g., SharePoint) and allows you to personalize your digital workspace at a lower cost.
Modern workplace: key takeaways
A Modern Workplace is an intelligent digital work environment tailored to the needs and use cases of an organization and its employees. This solution meets today’s workplace expectations (mobility, flexibility, agility). It centralizes all tools, information, and resources employees need to collaborate effectively remotely or on-site, synchronously or asynchronously. But that's not all. It also integrates technology (AI) to improve internal processes and the employee experience.
As a result, the Modern Workplace boosts productivity, strengthens employee engagement and satisfaction, and generates significant ROI. In a context of digital transformation, international competition, successive crises, rising cyber threats, and the war for talent, this solution has become essential for reconciling employee well-being and productivity within a strategy of sustainable performance.
Do you want to equip your organization with a personalized and secure Modern Workplace to boost productivity and the employee experience?
Click here to discover Jint’s solutions and products and request a demo.
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